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Basse-Normandie

Divided in 1956 into two Régions, Basse-Normandie and Haute Normandie, Normandie is rich in history. Visit historical landmarks such as the D-Day landing beaches, Mont-Saint-Michel, and Monet’s hanging gardens in Giverny. Rouen, the cradle of impressionism, is also home to France’s tallest cathedral tower, Rouen Cathedral. Haute-Normandie’s largest city, Le Havre, was devastated in the Battle of Normandy and rebuilt with architect Auguste Perret’s designs. With its seaside coast, parks, gardens, rivers, beaches, museums, and numerous historical landmarks, Normandie is for a range of historians and art aficionados.

Highlights
Basse Normandie Départements: Calvados, Manche, and Orne

Basse Normandie Capital : Caen

Regional Culinary Specialties:
From the countryside: Camembert, Pont l’Evêque, and livarot cheeses; green, sweet, crunchy, sour, and ripe apples are used in making cider and calvados (apple brandy);
From the coast: oysters, scallops, lobsters; Dieppe sole and tripe à la mode from Caen; Boudin noir (blood sausage) from Mortagne.

Good to Know:
-William the Conqueror reigned in Normandie.
-The Battle of Normandy in World War II was fought here.
- Joan of Arc, Pierre Corneille, Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, Guy de Maupassant, Claude Monet, Roy Lichtenstein, and Marcel Duchamp are all a part of Rouen’s heritage.
-Mont-Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island and commune apx. 1 km off the coast of Normandie.